Dr. Gary Wright (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. His research centers on justice-oriented science teaching and gender and sexual diversity (GSD)-inclusive science education, with a focus on preparing pre-service and in-service science teachers to engage with and learn from LGBTQ students. Dr. Wright’s scholarship has been recognized through several awards and fellowships, including the NARST Outstanding Doctoral Research Award and the Jhumki Basu Scholars Fellowship. A first-generation college graduate and former North Carolina Teaching Fellow, Dr. Wright earned his Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Science Education from North Carolina State University, and his B.A. in Biology with a secondary science teaching license from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He also has three years of experience teaching high school science in rural North Carolina communities.

Areas of Expertise

• Pre-service science teacher education
• Gender and sexual diversity-inclusive education
• LGBTQ+ identities (students and teachers)
• Near-peer mentoring
• Mixed methods